Traditionally a lid is involved when cooking with a vessel such as a pot or pan. Very often it is desirable that the lid be lifted so that the user can access the contents of the vessel either for stirring, adding ingredients or a host of other reasons. Such a need may occur many times over the course of cooking a particular dish. When the lid is removed water that has condensed on the underside of the lid or other matter from the cooking food often collects and drips off the lid onto the counter or floor or whatever else is located below the lid. This causes a mess and can also result in the user being burned by a hot lid. Additionally, the user typically has one hand occupied with holding the lid while simultaneously stirring the vessel contents, adding ingredients, etc. Sometimes a user may set the hot lid on a counter top or other surface so that they have both hands available for cooking but doing so leaves a mess on the surface on which the lid was set and also does not protect the user or counter top from being burned by the hot lid.
Another problem arises when the user tries to balance the lid on a portion of the vessel to stir the contents of the vessel or add ingredients. Oftentimes the lid slides off of the vessel causing a mess and also possibly burning the user. All of this can make cooking messy and unnecessarily complicated.
It would be desirable to have a combination lid handle and holder that securely suspends the lid of a vessel in a position so that condensed water or any other matter that has collected on the underside of the lid can drip back into the vessel. It would be desirable to have a lid handle that can also function as a holder which could rest on a counter top or other surface in an upright manner for ease of use. Furthermore, it would be desirable to have a combination lid handle and holder that suspends a hot lid over a vessel so that the user does not have to hold onto the lid, thereby reducing the risk of the user being burned.
This device overcomes certain problems and shortcomings in the prior art, including those mentioned above and others, and provides advantages for a combination lid and utensil holder not previously provided.